Courtesy Call

25/08/2011

Last Friday afternoon I received a request to call the Federal Shadow Attorney General George Brandis.

I later telephoned him and he informed me that he intended to write to the Commissioner of Police regarding the matter involving Craig Thomson and that he was ringing me to let me know out of courtesy.

I told him writing to the Commissioner directly was the proper course of action. Senator Brandis and I then had a further conversation about other unrelated matters.

On that evening I was attending the Commissioned Police Officers Dinner. As the Commissioner of Police was not able to attend due to him recovering from a medical procedure, I rang to check on his recovery and to ask whether there was anything he wished me to convey on his behalf.

During the course of that conversation I indicated, as a courtesy, that Senator George Brandis was going to write to him regarding the Thomson matter.

The Commissioner indicated that if he did receive any correspondence it would be treated like any other referral.

At no stage have I received any correspondence from Senator Brandis, nor have I spoken with any other officer on this matter.

On Saturday afternoon, I again called Senator Brandis and indicated to him that if he had any information regarding this matter it would be received and assessed by Police in the normal manner.

See. This is why it becomes a problem when politics attempts to get involved with legal issues. Senator Brandis has made a grave error. And so I am afraid has Michael Gallacher.

The public is all well aware of the allegations made against Craig Thomson and the extend of the damage they may cause if found to be true, but the coalition like to remind the public anyway. And they are doing it in the most basest of ways.

When the coalition refused to allow the the Minister of the Arts, Simon Crean and Malcolm Turnbull to attend the funeral of Margret Olley, they crossed a line of decency. But when they refused to honour a pair they had ALREADY given to the PM, then they took decency, shoved it into a chaff bag, and threw it out to sea.

So it was no surprise that in their eagerness to add fuel to the fire, the above events occurred.

Firstly, senator Brandis should know better. Its his job. He should well have been aware that a phone call to minister Michael Gallacher was inappropriate. And if he did not, in the above letter Minister Gallacher reminded him.

I told him writing to the Commissioner directly was the proper course of action. Senator Brandis and I then had a further conversation about other unrelated matters.

Senator brandis insists it was only a courtesy call and he keeps insisting that he did not talk to the police commissioner.

However, Mr Gallacher continues.

On that evening I was attending the Commissioned Police Officers Dinner. As the Commissioner of Police was not able to attend due to him recovering from a medical procedure, I rang to check on his recovery and to ask whether there was anything he wished me to convey on his behalf.

During the course of that conversation I indicated, as a courtesy, that Senator George Brandis was going to write to him regarding the Thomson matter.

The Commissioner indicated that if he did receive any correspondence it would be treated like any other referral.

See. This is the part I find interesting. Mr Gallacher, after sensing the perceived impropriety of Senator Brandis’ call and in fact telling him the proper procedure, then mentions the still at this stage non existent brief to the commissioner as a ‘courtesy’. After this courtesy, the commissioner gives him a response he reports.

Fine and dandy.

But then the next day, Michael Gallacher calls Senator Brandis, presumably out of courtesy, to remind him once more of the proper procedures of lodging a complaint in case George did not understand in the last phone call.

At least that is the claim.

The problem though is it looks super frigging fishy! Senator Brandis, and his party, have a financial gain from the outcome of this investigation: government. Still, that should not prevent him as a private citizen from lodging a complaint.

The problem occurs when the same citizen then uses his political position and power to make pleas or even enquires to a police commissioner. I understand Senator Brandis denies he has talked to the commissioner. But it appears that it is possible that he got Michael Gallacher to talk to him for him.

Again. We have to take the minister and the senator at their word. Yet the appearance could be construed to look like some kind of untoward direction or advice changed hands. And this would/could in turn jeapardize the police inquiry to the complaint which was lodged AFTER Mr Gallacher made his Saturday call to Senator Brandis, a lawyer, to remind him of the way the law works.

Senator Brandis insists he only contacted the NSW Police Minister out of courtesy.

So Senator, ask your party leader where the fuck the courtesy was for Malcolm Turnbull to farewell a family friend and attend a funeral?

When politicians interfere with the workings of the police and attempt to bypass the judicial system and prosecute a citizen of this country, then the country has jumped the shark. And yes Craig Thomson is a citizen and has the associated rights to fair jurisprudence. If he is found guilty, he will no doubt be treated accordingly.

But before he can be trialed at all, he needs to have charges laid on him. And before that an investigation has to happen. And before that an enquiry has to be done to see if there is any bother.

In the coalition’s eagerness to get a head on a pike, they have muddied the waters further.

No ability to deliver? This government has already delivered 180-odd bills, despite minority status, with every single one successfully negotiated through the house, not a single one blocked or with any amendment they didn’t agree to. No ability to deliver my arse.

In a way, you are correct Geoff, but also insult your self. You see, for any policy to be delivered successfully, it must be delivered successfully by the agents the government has at its disposal to do so. The Australian Workforce. The same problem will be encountered by the Coalition if they were in power.